DOVER — Fergus Cullen, a former chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, is considering a run for the Dover City Council as an at-large candidate.

Cullen said he is considering filing as a candidate for an at-large seat because after a few years as an occasional critic of previous councils, Cullen said the time has come for him to become involved first-hand.

“We have a young family, I'm self-employed, so there is (only) so much time I can give, but I think serving on the City Council is a good fit,” Cullen said. “It's time to roll up my sleeves and contribute in the community.”

According to a biography on his website, Cullen served as chairman of the state Republican Party in 2007-2008. At the time, at 34 years old, he was the youngest state chairman in the country. Cullen moved to Dover with his family in 2009. In addition to his political experience, Cullen has contributed opinion columns for the Union-Leader, works as a research and communications consultant and coaches girls cross country at Oyster River High School.

He is also the founder of founder of Americans By Choice, which he described in a letter to Foster's as “a group working in support of immigration reform.” He and his wife, Jenny, founded the Horne Street School 5K and 2-mile fitness walk. In his letter, Cullen, who leads the Dover Taxpayers Association, describes himself as “a fiscal conservative.”

After gaining political experience at the state and national levels, Cullen said he now wants to focus on making Dover a more attractive place for people to live. Cullen said he is supportive of the current City Council, which he said has been successful in adopting two consecutive budgets consistent with the tax cap, “putting a stop to runaway spending and tax hikes.”

“The sky did not fall,” Cullen said. “The tax cap is basically working. I'm supportive of that change. It was a long time coming.”

Cullen said it is possible to oppose higher taxes while at the same time supporting city services. He said that things have “settled down” for now, and that the city should continue to look for ways to “live within our means.”

“We're not going to spend more than we can afford,” Cullen said. “Dover can set an example by setting a stable, more predictable and relatively low tax rate.”

Cullen believes this will encourage people to choose Dover when moving to the Seacoast. Since he and his family moved to the Garrison City, Cullen said he has looked for ways to become involved in the community. This is why he is now considering a run for an at-large seat.

“Being a contributing member of the community is important to me,” Cullen said. “That's one of the reasons why I'm thinking very seriously about running. I've spoken with a number of the city councilors about it. A number of them have encouraged me to run.”

With the filing period, which begins Sept. 9, just a week away, Cullen said there is a time constraint on making his decision.

“I have responsibilities to my family,” Cullen said. “I'm self employed. I just want to make sure I could step into a role like this without compromising my responsibilities to my family.”